FORTESCUE, Mo. – After just two weeks of being open, crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation closed both lanes of U.S. Route 159 from Rulo, NE to Route 111 and Route 111 from U.S. Route 159 to Route 118 this evening after floodwaters once again began to rise over the roadway.
MoDOT is urging everyone to closely monitor conditions in their area, heed all evacuation notices, and never enter a water-covered roadway or drive around barricades. Just a few inches of flood waters can force a vehicle off the roadway. In addition, it is not uncommon for roadways and shoulders to be damaged when flooded, creating unsafe conditions for motorists
Flooding may occur with little or no notice. Even though you have a planned route, you may come upon water-covered roads. Missouri Department of Transportation crews and our partners are monitoring road conditions closely, but floodwaters can rise quickly, before our crews and other emergency services are able to place barricades across the roadway.
If you come upon a flooded roadway without barricades, do NOT drive through the water. Pull over to a safe location and call the MoDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service line at 888 ASK MODOT (1-888-275-6636) to report it.
For the most up-to-date information on this flooding event, visit:
- www.modot.org/2019-northwest-missouri-flooding
- www.traveler.modot.org/map or download MoDOT’s smartphone app
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Northwest Missouri Flooding Website